Vocal recording

Record lead vocals, stacks, ad-libs or voice-over in a treated booth while an engineer handles levels, talkback and takes. You hear yourself clearly in the headphones instead of fighting room noise at home.

Vocalist with headphones sings behind pop filter in small booth.

Vocal recording at Mushyvanta suits singers, rappers, songwriters and speakers who want a quiet, predictable space in Amsterdam. Sessions run in one of our 2 iso booths, fed into a control room with a 32-input console. Since 2018 we have tracked vocals in Amsterdam-West for singles, demos, ref tracks and podcast beds that move on to mix elsewhere.

Your engineer sets gain, headphone mix and basic comping notes; you focus on the take. Need raw files only, or a rough balance for your producer? Tell us when you get in touch so booked hours match your budget and deadline.

Process

Brief
Share genre, tempo, track count and references. We reply within 2 business days with slots, a rough hour estimate and a prep checklist.
Line check
On arrival we choose mic, pop filter and headphones, and run a short test take before rolling keeper passes.
Tracking
We work section by section with breaks. The engineer flags takes and can stack doubles while you reset lyrics or hydrate.
Handoff
After the session you receive agreed files (usually within a few business days). Raw session data stays on our servers for 12 months; see terms and conditions.

Who books vocal sessions?

Solo artists, band members delivering only vocals, VO for video, or guest features on someone else’s production. Minimum age in the studio is 16; younger performers attend with a parent or guardian.

Bring an instrumental (WAV or AIFF, 24-bit when possible). Singing while playing guitar? That can happen in the booth or the 42 m² live room if the song allows — we confirm in the brief.

Pop, R&B, hip-hop, rock and folk
Demos and ref vocals for external mixers
Podcast intros and short jingles
Spoken word and audiobook excerpts billed by the hour

Room and monitoring

The booth is built to reduce flutter and bleed. In the control room the engineer listens on monitors level-matched for the session. Your headphone feed includes music, optional click and your voice without latency that throws timing off.

The building holds 3 rooms; vocal and full-band bookings do not share the same booth at once. Building access and neighbourhood notes: about us and Tram 13 stop Bellamyplein (5-minute walk). Bus 22 stop Bilderdijkstraat. From Amsterdam Centraal about 15 minutes on tram 13 towards Amsterdam Sloterdijk..

What to bring

Printed lyrics or a quiet tablet. Water is on you; vocal coaching is not part of the hourly rate. Your own dynamic mic is fine if it matches our cabling and phantom power.

Read prepare for a vocal session for warm-ups, file naming and session flow. Better prep means more usable takes inside the hours you pay for.

Engineer scope

Each hour at €109 (incl. 21% VAT) covers booth, studio and engineer — not “room only”. Lars van der Berg and the team (including mix engineer Sophie de Vries and producer Noah Jansen) schedule sessions; the engineer on the day may vary by booking.

Full mixing or mastering is not included in the vocal hour unless booked separately. We can export a rough balance so your producer hears whether takes work.

Delivery formats

Default delivery is WAV 24-bit, 48 kHz, with clear file names (e.g. song_chorus2_take4). On request: dry and processed stems, or all takes instead of comps only.

Turnaround: raw exports usually within two business days; larger comp jobs by agreement. Files ship via secure download; physical media on request. Revisions on mix/master follow mixing rules — re-singing days later needs a new booking, not a free redo.

Pricing and booking

Listed rates are consumer prices incl. 21% VAT. Business invoices may show net amounts (e.g. €90.08 per hour).

Indicative Vocal recording rates
Option	Price incl. VAT	Notes
Hourly	€109	Engineer, booth and basic export included
Half day	€389	Four consecutive hours; useful for EP days

Confirmed bookings require a 30% deposit. Free cancellation up to 7 days before the session; after that, terms and conditions apply. Evening slots fit within Tue–Sat 10–22.

Not included

Heavy tuning (Melodyne/autotune production), extended comp editing beyond the session, hiring musicians, arrangement or songwriting sit outside the standard rate. Third-party travel or parking is yours.

Replacing vocals on an already limited mix is possible — confirm the mix is not brick-walled so monitoring stays honest. Questions: FAQ or 020 244 8916.

Next: mix and master

Many clients send stems to mixing (from €219 per track) or book mastering when the mix is finished. Plan timeline accordingly: mix and master each include 2 revision rounds under our house rules.

See all offerings on services or browse the guides. Ready to schedule? Contact us.

Included

Iso booth with condenser mic, pop filter and headphones
Recording engineer for gain, talkback and take notes
Headphone mix with backing and your voice
WAV export 24-bit/48 kHz per agreed track
Short safety briefing and studio tour on first visit
Access to restroom and coffee corner during breaks
Raw session archive for 12 months on our servers

FAQ

Do I need to bring my own engineer?

No. €109 includes a Mushyvanta engineer running the session. Your producer may attend in the control room if agreed upfront and within capacity (up to 8 people on non-band bookings — confirm via contact).

Can a half day cover several songs?

Yes. €389 covers four hours of booth plus engineer, often enough for two to four songs with leads and some doubles when prep is solid. See our prep guide to save time.

Do you deliver tuned vocals?

Light tuning for monitoring can happen in session, but detailed pitch work is a separate production step or part of mixing. Set expectations before the day to avoid surprises.

What if I am ill before the session?

Cancel as early as you can. Up to 7 days ahead is free under our terms. Inside that window the deposit may be forfeited or we move the date by agreement.

Parking nearby?

Street parking in Amsterdam-West is tight; many clients take tram 13 (Tram 13 stop Bellamyplein (5-minute walk). Bus 22 stop Bilderdijkstraat. From Amsterdam Centraal about 15 minutes on tram 13 towards Amsterdam Sloterdijk.). Allow extra travel time on busy days.